


A Kinder Surprise

by whereyoursoulresides



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: BD's just carrying an egg, M/M, Parenthooood!, Preg? But not in the traditional sense, mostly ficlets and little drabbles and scenes, no particular plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-11-14 23:42:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11218704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whereyoursoulresides/pseuds/whereyoursoulresides
Summary: [AU-ish-setting, in which Breakdown never has an unfortunate encounter with MECH]During a standard physical in Knockout's medbay, Breakdown and his partner discover some ...unexpected news.





	1. Unexpected News

Breakdown was laying on the med-table, getting settled for his physical. It had been a while since he had gotten one, but it was standard procedure every so often. He waited patiently until the doors slid open, and Knockout entered with a datapad under his arm. 

"Morning, doc," Breakdown teased.

Knockout smirked and came over to the med-table, where he leaned his arm against it casually. 

“And how's my big boulder-breaker assistant doing today?” Knockout asked, pretending as if Breakdown were any other patient. The flecks in his red optics flickered in that way whenever he was amused, andn Breakdown chuckled.

“Just fine. Thanks for asking, doc." As if Knockout wasn't already intimately familiar with the ins and outs of his frame.

“Of course,” Knockout responded in a nanoclick, his voice smoothing and lifting at the end of his sentence with total assurance. “Can't operate without my partner in peak condition, can I?”

Despite Knockout’s teasing, Breakdown knew how much the doctor valued him, and this was his way of telling him he cared. Only Knockout scolded him for overworking his tire muscles, or returning to work earlier before an injury was healed. And only Knockout was there for him at all hours of the night, when his nerve endings occasionally flared and sparked with age-old aches, massaging the cables until enough fluid returned to the area.

“Bring out all your tests, doc, I'm solid.”

Knockout's eyes flickered a bit with amusement again. “Really now? You sure you aren't tired at all? Not even from a late night shenanigan, perhaps?”

Breakdown responded with a wide grin, his own eyes narrowing in challenge. 

“Nah, I'm a big boy. Takes more than a little banging to knock me out.”

Knockout nearly couldn't hold back his burst of laughter at his partner’s pun. He quelled his amusement and tried to look serious.

“Well,” he said, with a musical hum as he trailed his fingers along Breakdown's thick plating. “That's something we'll address at a later date, shall we? Let's take a look at you.”

Cables and sensors were wrapped, strapped and patched into various parts of Breakdown’s exoskeleton. It was slightly uncomfortable in a clinical way, but with Knockout’s presence nearby, Breakdown felt much more relaxed.

Throughout the procedure, Knockout was completely on-task - he was completely in doctor mode. Breakdown knew Knockout was being extra precise by the notes he hummed and by the angles of his thick, sweeping brows.

“Vitals are good, very good,” he would murmur, looking at his datapad. 

Breakdown couldn’t help but feel proud. Damn right he was in good shape. 

Knockout glanced between his datapad and the main screen of his computer, where Breakdown’s frame had been uploaded. It was the basic exoskeleton diagram that all cons had in the Nemesis database - their very first x-ray upon stepping onto the ship. It hadn’t been updated in eons - x-rays weren’t necessary, as it was rare for Cybertronians to develop any new type of internal organs past their protoform adulthood.

“Everything looks good,” Knockout said again, but then his head tilted to the side curiously. “Too good, actually...I haven’t seen your energon levels this high since you first got your upgrade.”

Breakdown arched his head up from the med table. “Second wind?” he suggested.

“Hm, unlikely,” Knockout replied as he tapped on the keys to analyze the data. “You haven't been exposed to any synthetic energon, have you?”

“Not that I know of,” Breakdown answered. “You sayin’ I'm tougher?”

“Tougher, healthier, brighter….it’s almost as if you're getting ready for a natural upgrade. But that's...rare.”

“Maybe I'm a secret Prime,” Breakdown joked.

Knockout smirked. Suddenly a new piece of information flashed on the screen, and Knockout's smile faded.

“Odd,” he commented again. “Your stats are showing two sparkbeat wavelengths. But that's impossible -”

Suddenly Knockout's eyes widened and he turned around. Breakdown met his gaze back puzzledly.

“What is it, Doc?”

When Knockout finally responded, it wasn't a joke.

“I think you're carrying.”


	2. Discussion

For a few long moments, Breakdown simply stared at Knockout, not quite processing.

“You can’t be serious, Knockout,” Breakdown finally said, still looking completely stunned.

Knockout’s faceplate was as solemn as Breakdown had ever seen it. “We’ll have to do an x-ray of your chest plate to be certain, but I can’t imagine what else it could be.”

“An infection?” Breakdown suggested, although he wasn’t sure why he would rather an infection than a sparkling.

“Infections don’t give you an energon boost.”

A quiet hush fell over the two mechs, as both began to contemplate the meaning behind this revelation.

It was Breakdown who finally broke the silence. “You _really_ think there might be a sparkling in there?” he asked Knockout quietly.

Knockout’s optics hovered over to Breakdown’s chest.

“Only one way to know for sure.”

\---

It didn’t take long for Knockout to scan Breakdown’s chest. Analyzing the data was a different story. Both mechs waited in absolute silence as the screen downloaded the information from the scanner.

“...How do you think it happened?” Breakdown finally broke the silence. “I mean - this isn’t how sparks usually get made, right? Don’t they just get sprayed from the Well?” Maybe there was some other way of reproducing that Breakdown had never been taught.

Knockout seemed to be considering it. But then, simultaneously, the two were struck with the certainty of _one_ possibility.

_“Breakdown,” Knockout had breathed, his engine and voice growling as one. “I’m ready…”_

_His partner was lying beneath him, exhaust vents huffing full blast. They were already practically soldered at the hips, but tonight they needed more._

_“Okay, it’s coming. Hold on-...”_

_Carefully, the pop of his chassis opening echoed. Beneath it, the gears and pistons hissed while the hood slowly arced open. As Breakdown’s chest unfolded to reveal the complex cavity within, Knockout’s optics swirled and refocused in awe._

_Blinding, beautiful, and swirling, Breakdown’s spark burned before him in all its glory. A lone star in the black horizon, its essence billowing with wonder. No matter how many times he had already seen it, Knockout was always amazed by it.  How glossy its orbit, how lustrous and full of life. If there was ever a moment when Knockout could consider himself remotely humbled, it was before the very core of Breadown’s spark._

_The chassis was removed, and Knockout’s engine revved in anticipation. The halves of his own hood shifted open, swerving back to expose the little flat doors where his grills met underneath. There was the sound of gears shifting, and then the two doors unlocked open, revealing his own rolling spark._

_As the two mechs edged closer together, time nor space nor war or peace could keep them apart. When the two sparks finally met, both mechs arched and nearly shouted at the contact - their exoskeletons rumbling and pulsing with the shared life-force between them. It's essence coursed through each other, trembling, shaking - before finally the merged spark began to intensify. As the light enveloped the two and blinded the night, the sounds of both mechs overloading echoed amongst the stars._

Abruptly, Knockout and Breakdown both realized exactly _how_ this unexpected carrying might have happened, and suddenly they were awkward and flustered.

“Well, it’s not like we could’ve used protection,” Breakdown tried to joke, his cheeks much warmer than usual. Although it was known that  a sparkling _could_ be conceived by sparkmerging, it had always been such a small possibility that it was never considered seriously.

Knockout bit out an awkward chuckle and then cleared his throat. “You’re absolutely right,” he agreed. “The chances of conception during sparkmerging are less than 2%. It’s practically unheard of. Sparkmerging is already so rare in of itself, the likelihood of spawning a sparkling along with it -”

“It’s crazy, almost possible,” Breakdown finished.

While they were both trying to reassure themselves, the computer finally _beeped_ to indicate the scan had finished its analysis.

The screen flickered, and an updated sample of Breakdown’s chest appeared. Knockout immediately strode over to the console. His optics darted around the data. The system listed the usual observations, but this time…

“A second spark,” he slowly ex-vented quietly.

Breakdown didn't fully catch what he had said and tried to look around at him.

“What’s that, Knockout?”

Knockout took a deep breath and rose hi hand to touch the screen. Where Breakdown's sparkchamber was, there was a glowing circular splotch of light, but off to the side...

“This spot here indicates your spark,” Knockout explained, tapping to the bighesg circle in the diagram. “But here…”

Knockout zoomed closer, and upon closer inspection, a secondary spark was revealed. It was small, hardly more than a sixteenth of Breakdown’s spark, but it was there nonetheless. It stood on its own, but hovered close within the larger orbit, sharing the fluid that coated the insides of the sparkchamber.

“And there it is,” Knockout confirmed.

Breakdown looked at the little dot, mesmerized for the moment. He couldn’t believe it.

And yet, it was strangely kind of beautiful.

“Wow,” was all Breakdown could finally say.

Knockout cleared his throat a bit and glanced between the screen and Breakdown. “It’s still fairly new, I would say perhaps a deca-cycle at the very oldest. At this stage, there are still certain options that you can consider.”

Breakdown blinked and shook his head as though he had misheard. “Consider? What do you mean?”

It was clear that Knockout was in full medic mode now, with the way he was staring so seriously at Breakdown.

“Well,  there are options for you if you don't intend to carry it fully to term,” Knockout explained. “A sparkling growing in your chest will have some serious ramifications. You won't be able to really work in the mines. You’d have to take time off. You’d have to ask _Megatron_ for time off. Then there’s what to do with it once it’s out…”

Again Breakdown shook his head, but this time he held up a hand as well. “Wait, stop. Knockout, what are you saying? That we should... extinguish it?”

Knockout looked a little uncomfortable with the way Breakdown had phrased the question. “If that is your choice…” he started.

“Hold on,” Breakdown interjected, and this time his brow furrowed. “It’s not just my choice to make, isn't it? It's  _our_ decision.”

The medic’s brows jumped a little in surprise. 

“Well…” It was clear Knockout wasn’t prepared for this conversation. “Medically speaking, it _is_ yours. You’re ultimately the one who will be carrying it."

“You intending on leavin’ me if I do keep it?” Breakdown asked, although he lifted one corner of his mouth in a side-grin.

Although Knockout remained serious,  his optics softened and his rounded hoods did seem to relax ever so slightly.

“No, of course not,” he answered truthfully. "Whatever you decide, I will respect it.”

“Then we decide together.”

Despite himself, Knockout couldn't help but feel somewhat comforted with Breakdown's insistence. He dared a faint smile.

“Well…” He started, returning to Breakdown's side by the med table. “Thankfully, we have another deca-cycle to discuss it,” he said, lightly grazing his digits along Breakdown’s thigh in thought. “But...I’m guessing you already know. You want to keep it.”

Breakdown glanced back at the screen, and he knew for certain. Whether he was ready or not to be a caregiver was secondary - above all, he couldn’t take the life of something so small, so precious. It was a _sparkling_.

“Yeah,” he said. “I gotta.”

Knockout couldn’t entirely disagree. He knew Breakdown well enough that his big spark would never consider extinguishing the life of something so innocent.

“But what about you though, Knockout?” Breakdown asked, deep concern in his yellow optics. “I don't want you to do anything you’re not comfortable doing.”

“Come now, Breakdown,” Knockout said, patting Breakdown's massive thigh. Although it seemed like an action to comfort Breakdown, it was probably helping Knockout more than he cared to admit. “You know I would never leave you in the dust. We'll do it together.” Despite his intention, there was just trying slightest waver of uncertainty in Knockout’s voice.

Breakdown picked up on it and his  face plate pinched with concern. “You sure, Knockout? You seem a little nervous…”

Knockout let out a slightly overwhelmed chuckle. “I wasn't exactly built to be paternal, that's all. But...I suppose I could learn.”

This made Breakdown smile.  “Aw, you don't have to worry about that,” he said, hauling up on arm over Knockout’s shoulders. “I mean, Primus didn't build either of us were for what we wanted to be, did he? And look where we are now.”

Breakdown’s point was very valid. Not only could Knockout not disagree, but the words felt empowering. Finally, his own smile strengthened a bit and he leaned into the comforting crevice his conjunx was offering. Optics on Breakdown's, Knockout slowly raised his servo and laid it on the front of Breakdown’s compartment, over the space where the sparkling was now housed.

“I guess we’re having a sparkling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the feedback and kudos!! I'm so ecstatic that you guys are enjoying it so far, it got me spurning back to my desk! Thanks again for reading; I can't wait till things start getting really serious with these two with the sparkling developing ❤


	3. Papas Prepping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the weeks go by, Knockout and Breakdown begin preparing for their sparkling's arrival in their own separate ways.

In the time that followed after Breakdown’s check-up, the two were making the necessary preparations. Knockout had gotten out all of the datapads on the topic, for both he and Breakdown to peruse. Often at night they shared either Knockout’s or Breakdown’s quarters together, but in light of the new information, they had decided Knockout’s was best suited to be their new base, as it was closest to the medbay and filled with everything they needed for a medical emergency.

It was shame that they were now sequestered off into such a small space, Knockout would silently muse to himself as he worked during the day. He and Breakdown had a trailer hidden on Earth from their earlier scouting days, but with Megatron needing both their help, they could no longer use it. Had it not been for the war, it would have been a perfect home to raise a sparkling. 

As he worked, Knockout would always keep an optic out for any spare parts or equipment he could take back, such as extra energon fluids, cannisters he’d have to fashion into sippy cups, extra chamois cloths for wipes and spills. They were going to keep this sparkling a secret as long as possible, concerned that Megatron might ask for its extraction. They weren’t sure yet what to do once it was more developed...but that was a problem for the future.

After another long day at work, Knockout headed back to his quarters, arms carrying more datapads. He could use a cup of high-grade later tonight as he sifted through all his old medical texts. Sparklings weren’t frequently conceived in the manner he and Breakdown had managed, so Knockout wanted to do plenty of research while he could.

As he approached his room, he could hear the dull sounds of something smacking into the wall echo down the hallway. As he got closer, the cracking sound grew louder, followed by a quiet rumble. Frowning, Knockout unlocked his quarters. 

“What in Primus’ name is going on h-”

The doors slid open and revealed a certain level of chaos that normally would have shocked Knockout. All of his things had been moved across the room, and the whole left wall was being deconstructed. In the centre panel, there was even a gaping hole - but when he saw that it was Breakdown’s face through the hole, Knockout relaxed marginally.

Breakdown had a wide grin on his face. “Oh. Hey babe. Sorry for the mess.”

Knockout put his datapads on the nearest counter. “Breakdown, what’s going on?” They had been together for so long that Knockout was at ease, trusting that Breakdown knew what he was doing and that the demolishing was for good reason. Perhaps there was something in need of fixing in his quarters.

The grin grew even wider. “Oh, nothing. I was just meaning to surprise you…”

Tearing down his wall was indeed a huge surprise. “With...?”

“We’re getting a bigger place.”

Knockout blinked a few times, before his brows rose in pleasant surprise. “Are you pulling my pedes, Breakdown? How did you make this happen?”

“Oh I just made a trade with the vehicons who bunk next door,” Breakdown explained. “Told ‘em I needed it in case I got summoned to the medbay some more to help you with your projects. It didn't take much to convince them, my bunk was way bigger anyway.”

Knockout couldn't help but feel his spark warm at Breakdown's thoughtfulness. 

“I know you mentioned it would've been better if we had a bigger place,” Breakdown continued, “so I'm thinking I'll break this main wall down, and we'll install a new panel to make a door, so the bitlet can have his own space, y'know?”

“A very fine idea, Breakdown,” Knockout agreed as strolled over to the wall, carefully avoiding the mess. “You always know just what we need.”

Seeing Breakdown grin through the window was sheer adorableness. “Yeah?”

Knockout came to a stop in front of the hole, looking very smug and satisfied.

“Hm. Yeah.”

Their faceplates were just about to touch briefly in affection when Breakdown suddenly remembered something else. “Oh!” he said excitedly, as he abruptly turned around in excitement. Knockout peered into the hole but couldn’t help examine the sharp curling edges with a bit of amusement. He was always a fan of Breakdown’s handiwork.

“Knockout, check this out.”

Knockout redirected his gaze to Breakdown, who was standing in the corner of the quarter. There was something standing next to him, a large box, which was covered with a tarp. When Breakdown lifted and yanked the tarp aside, however, it was revealed to be an energon crate, but with the insides filled with chamois cloths.

“I saw this at work and figured it’d make a great crib. What d’you think?”

As much as Knockout wanted to give his opinion now, he had to get closer to inspect it properly.

“Hold that thought. Let me come around.”

After leaving and re-entering through Breakdown’s side of their new quarters, Knockout arrived at the crate’s side. There were wheels on the bottom that Breakdown had already locked in place, and the rails on the side would make the crib an easy carriage. As he inspected, Knockout nodded in approval.

“Hm...looks strong, sturdy, safe. Just a splash of red paint and it’ll perfect for our little hellion.”

Breakdown was nodding eagerly until he heard the word red. “What? Oh. I was kind of hoping we’d paint it blue…”

“Oh, but imagine what chaos he can create, driving around his fiery red...crib.”

“It should be blue,” Breakdown insisted. “So it’ll be good for...sleeping.”

“Sleeping?”

“Yeah, I read somewhere blue’s a nice color. Relaxes the optics.”

Knockout’s faceplate softened a bit at Breakdown’s earnest dedication. “...Blue then,” he finally agreed. “But with red stripes. Maybe a little gold detailing on the rims?”

Breakdown laughed. 

“Sure, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys all so much for reading, and leaving such lovely comments!! I'm having too much fun imagining these two being papas so more is sure to come <3.


	4. A Glitch in the System

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knockout and Breakdown have done everything they can to ensure a smooth development cycle for the sparkling. But even the best well-laid plans can go astray.

“Your chassis is looking good,” Knockout was commenting, as he examined the updated live-scan on the screen. “Any pain or discomfort?”

“No,” Breakdown answered. He looked up at the screen as well. “Can’t believe all that stuff is really in there.”

The _stuff_ he was referring to was the complex networks of fluids that had grown around the outside of the spark’s pod. The pod itself was egg-shaped, and it pulsed serenely, sharing its life fluid with the many threads that now connected itself to Breakdown. Cushioned walls were even beginning to grow between the gaps, made of the same material of Breakdown’s tires and rubber sinew.

“I imagine you must feel more top-heavy now,” Knockout commented. “How do you feel when you’re in alt-mode?”

“Fine,” Breakdown said. Whenever he transformed, the egg was shifted into the belly of his truck, below the windows and behind the rumbling engine. “Look! It’s getting bigger.”

Sometimes if they were lucky, they could catch a glimpse of the egg swelling another layer of dermis ever so slightly. Each time it did this, it almost appeared to breathe, before returning to a state of slumber.

“It’s nearing the end of the cycle. All that’s left to do is wait for it to finish its incubation period...then it will notify you when it’s ready to hatch.”

“Is it going to hatch inside me?” Breakdown asked, a little alarmed. Comfy as it looked now in his chassis, it hadn’t anticipated it was going to become a nursery.

“No, it’s going to alert you to be removed, and hatch naturally on its own,” Knockout explained. “I’ve equipped his crib-crate with everything he will need once he’s de-shelled.”

Breakdown took a moment to watch his partner sift through his datapad. A fond smile rose on his face, to see Knockout’s deeply engrossed expression. His brows always were a little furrowed when he thought, and his slight underbite rose a little further as he seemed to set his jaw in deep contemplation.

“You think it’s gonna be a mech?”

Knockout’s head jerked up. “Oh! Uh...I suppose it was just an assumption, I have no way of knowing for sure.”

“You want a boy-bot?”

Knockout seemed to consider his options. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, to be honest,” he admitted. “But femme or mech, the sparkling will still be our little hellion, and I would still care for it all the same.”

“You keep calling him that,” Breakdown said with a crooked grin. “Why do you think he’s going to be a troublemaker? He might be a good boy.”

At this Knockout had to let out a short laugh.

“Oh if he’s anything like _us_ , he’s definitely going to be a troublemaker,” he told Breakdown with a mischievous glint in his red optics. “Of that I am absolutely certain.”

Before Breakdown could respond, Megatron’s voice echoed loudly across the medbay.

“Knockout! Breakdown. I require your presence immediately.”

The two exchanged glances, and Knockout eyed his partner’s chassis with concern.

“You sure you’re okay to fight?”

Breakdown patted his chassis. “I’ve been able to work in the mines alright. No issues so far.”

“I’ll provide extra cover as best I can,” Knockout said with complete seriousness. “But avoid engaging in combat if possible - we need to keep that egg as secure as possible.”

It was really sweet to see Knockout rearranging their usual fighting strategy to accommodate for the sparkling. Breakdown didn’t understand why the medic had such reservations about being a father... it was already in his CNA.

“You got it, doctor,” Breakdown agreed.

 

\---

 

They had been sent to Earth to recover another relic. This one they found buried deep within a cliff by a river. Just as they were about to haul it out, on cue, the Autobots arrived.

It was different having their roles reversed. Admittedly, they were a bit clumsy at it - Knockout wasn’t used to defending, and his small stature proved difficult against the larger Bot’s. Breakdown was managing with hammering the rocks for the relic, while batting away the occasional debris.

“ _Knockout, let’s trade places,_ ” Breakdown sent through the commlink, as he hammered as fast as he could to get to the relic. “ _I_ _can probably fend them off without hurting the sparkling.”_

“ _Can’t take the chance_ ,” Knockout sent back as he whirled his staff just under Bulkhead’s jaw. _“Just get the relic and let’s peel out of here!”_

While Knockout was busy jumping from big boy to big bot, neither of them had seen the two-wheeler make a beeline for Breakdown. Just before she could attack, Breakdown sensed her behind him, and whirled around. He managed to knock her aside just as she transformed, hammer flying after his fist. Both were raised now, fisti-cuff style. He could handle a two-wheeler.

But she was quick. So quick. It was like trying to bat a gnat; he had to anticipate her move and calculate her velocity in order to grab her pede in time, or to knock her out of the way. And when they were smaller, they didn’t stay down - they just bounced back up once they hit the ground and next thing Breakdown knew, her super sharp pede stuck him in the chassis.

The sound of metal screeching tore through the air and Knockout whirled around. “Breakdown!”

Breakdown landed on his back, coming to halt among ground and rubble. His wide serves were clutching the chassis, frantically trying to assess if it had been breached. Before he could do anything else, he saw Arcee come up for the final blow, arm-blades glistening.

“Lights out, ‘Con,” she said, and her blade went swinging in the air.

Suddenly there was a flash of red, and before Breakdown knew it, Knockout had skidded between them. His staff had caught onto Arcee’s blades and were trying to hold her off.

“Perhaps I should use your helm as a scientific study,” Knockout tried to sneer at her. “Because it seems like the _lights are on_ , but no one’s home.”

But it was a losing battle. Just as he thought he had manage to push her aside, Arcee flipped in the air and exchanged her blades for blasters instead, aiming straight for Breakdown.

“No!”

Without thinking, Knockout threw himself in line of the blasters, and was shot squarely in the chassis. Although he knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, seeing the smoldering hole still brought a guttural cry to his vocal processor.

“Knockout? You okay?” Breakdown shouted, not being able to see the damage.

“I- ...I’m fine!” Knockout snapped back, trying to calm his senses. He was definitely going to go through shock for this later, but right now they had more important matters as Arcee hit the ground next to a recovering Bulkhead.

“It’s not like the mad doctor to take a hit,” she observed to the giant next to her.  “I’m going to go for the relic while they’re down. Give me cover fire.”

As Bulk tried to shoot above them, Arcee made a beeline for the half-buried relic. Without thinking, Knockout kicked at the stupid thing - and it unhinged itself from the ground. Only, much to everyone’s horror, it rolled out of Arcee’s reach…

...and off the cliff, into the river below.

“No!!”

There was cursing all around from both Bot and Con alike, but Knockout hadn’t the time to kick himself from the error. For he glanced back and saw the blue energon glistening on Breakdown’s servo.

“I think we’re done here.” He called up the groundbridge asap.

“But - what about the relic?” Breakdown asked, his voice gruff with worry.

“It’ll have to wait!” Knockout turned back around to the bots as the groundbridge swirled open before them. “Tally ho, Autobots - if we can’t have it, neither can you. Au revoir!”

And without another word, both Knockout and Breakdown threw themselves into the groundbridge, just escaping several blaster shots.

 

\---

 

“You get in the medbay,” Knockout said immediately as they reappeared onto the ship. “Get yourself hooked up and stabilize yourself as best you can. I’ll handle Megatron.”

Breakdown nodded and did exactly as told, his face grim and solemn. This was not going to be a good end for either of them.

 

\---

 

After the briefing, Knockout was ready to tear something apart. It was already bad enough that Megatron had chewed him out - but worse yet, Starscream was hanging around the outside of the medbay, and Knockout knew it was just to gloat. 

“You look like you’re in a foul mood,” Starscream drawled, his voice gravelling in that manner that Knockout detested. “I wonder why that might be.”

Knockout tried to keep his teeth clenched, lowering his servos from where they were patting the smoking hole in his chassis, but he was just about ready to _lose it._ Unfortunately Starscream wasn’t picking up the warning signs.

“I suppose it might be this?” the flyer asked, slowly tapping his chest, where Knockout’s injury was. “What shame to have damaged such a lovely _finish…_ ”

And that’s when Knockout exploded.

“Oh of course, _I am_ **_only_ ** _upset about my finish_ !” Knockout nearly shouted at Starscream, and the unexpected volume of the doctor’s voice almost caused Starscream to shrink back. “As if I have nothing else to be annoyed about! A missing relic, a failure of a mission, and the entire ship bothering me while I have a patient to fix! But yes, go on and assume I am only upset about how I haven’t the time to _preen!_ ”

This outburst completely took Starscream off guard, and immediately his voicebox was reduced to nervous chuckles. “Well, to be fair, you’ve been upset over fainter scratches,” Starscream responded weakly without thinking. “So the assumption is not without validity-”

“If that is all, Starscream,” Knockout suddenly said quite clearly and loudly, “I have a patient to attend to. Excuse me.”

He abruptly turned around and the medbay doors shut crisply. However, before Starscream could begin to comprehend what had just happened, the doors slid open and Knockout stuck his head back out.

“And for your information,” he seethed, “it is _a gouge,_  not a scratch!”

And then the doors slammed shut.

 

\---

 

“ _Honestly_ ,” Knockout was griping when he returned. “Can you believe the nerve of that spineless air wafter? I was _this_ close to dissecting him mys-”

“Knockout,” Breakdown cut in, and Knockout’s annoyance was quickly replaced with grim concern as he immediately crossed over to his partner.

“Something’s not right,” Breakdown grunted out, servo over his chassis. The crack was distinct and steadily leaking energon, which was glowing alarmingly brightly. “It’s like it’s movin’ in there.”

“It’s trying to eject,” Knockout realized gravely. “The impact must’ve triggered the birthing sequence.”

“But it’s too early,” Breakdown protested, even though he knew it was no use. His chassis rumbled ominously and a pitch of screeching frequency coursed through this commlinks.

“I’m afraid we have no choice,” Knockout said humorlessly.

He swiped out his servo for his most precise saw.

“We’ll have to perform surgery.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much again for the kind words, kudos and reviews! Honestly, every comment just fires off more creative juices in me - and since this is so slice-of-life-based (there is no plot) I'd love to hear any scenes you guys would love to see! Hit me up!


End file.
